Hi Folks;
I've stayed quiet here ever since your posts began reaching
me. But my story may be worth hearing.
In ths 50s, I had classic asthma, the only one in a class of
300 by the way. I was quite vulnerable to pollen allergies and cats,
sneezing and runny nose. But the worst was the asthma attack, usually
began with a tickle in my throat then in a day or so, boom, I could
hardly breathe.
These attacks would last about 14 days, during which time,
I'd lie in bed, not eat much and struggle for breath. The Tedral--
theophylline, ephedrine and some barbiturate-- saved me, but I did
not love to take them. By about day 12, recovering, I could quit them
and get a delicious night's sleep.
In between attacks, I was pretty normal but awfully skinny. I
could run jump and breathe quite well. And took no drugs meanwhile.
The lessons i took from my asthma were 1) however bad it
was, I'd recover when the two week cycle was up and 2) it was not the
pills that "cured" me, they just let me breahte a little while my
body worked through it. My body itself had the power.
In my late teens and until about the age of 40, I'd get maybe
one attack per year, it was annoying but I did not worry about it.
And I still did not want totake drugs, so i started experimenting,
learning. A no wheat diet; plenty of vitamin C; no milk; but there
was no magic bullet. None except youth, our own youthful hormones
protect us in our prime.

After a really unpleasant attack at age 40, I derived a basic
lifestyle for beating asthma, and lived it pretty successfully. This
still applies today.
Maintain good hydration-- this does NOT mean just drink
scoodles of water. It means pay attention and learn whats right for
you. [By the way throat viruses are more successful in drier mucous
membranes.] Good quality water is a blessing
Get good rest. Sound sleep is especially important if you
have a cold or are feeling on the verge.
Exercise is good but maintaining excellent physical
conditioning is really the key. Exercising too far beyond your
conditioning can be stressful, especially if your restedness or
hydration is not up to snuff.
Don't overeat. Do eat plenty of vegies and fruits. Cut down
the sugar and starch. Its amazing how little food we really need to
work well, I say this as a person who lives a very physical life.

After another attack 11 years ago, I began to study this
subject in earnest. The results can be seen at
www.PracticalAsthma.net Feel free to have a look.
There is a large body of peer-reviewed science providing
reams of EVIDENCE concerning practical, non-pharmaceutical aspects of
asthma and allergy. Considering the very low risks of such
supplements as fish oils (omega 3), studies can be decent guides to
action.

Today most people see allergy as an external irritant
molesting us poor unfortunates whose immune systems are sensitive
and overreactive. Further, popular wisdom says the only real hope is
drugs to block or dampen this reaction.
But the MD/PhD research community realizes that much has to
do with the condition of the "host", the individual whose
vulnerability to allergens or viruses can vary greatly.
To put it in personal terms, if I sit around watching TV,
eating donuts and drinking cokes, I are far more vulnerable to
allergens that if I am in top shape and eating right. This may seem
obvious but if we accept this as probably true, then we accept that
there is a wide spectrum of our systems being better or worse
prepared to deal with those pesky allergens and irritants which are
everywhere........

enough, wishing you all the best, John Sandy Hepler